Page 61 of Broken Beauty

When he puts his lips on my neck, I imagine Ash's touch but it doesn't feel like him.

His hands and lips don't feel like Ash's even though I try desperately to imagine it's Ash who is touching me.

“I don't even really care about you no more (no more), I don't even really care about you no more (no more), I don't even really care about-“

The song fades into the background when I feel the guy's hands and lips get ripped off of me.

I'm not surrounded by someone who isn't Ash, instead, I open my eyes and turn around only to see Ash straddling the guy on the floor while pounding his fists into his face.

The music eventually stops, and people are yelling around the house, telling Ash to get up.

I see Jace jump in and try to pull Ash off the guy but he fails miserably. Other guys join in to get Ash while everyone is still cheering and yelling.

Everything is rushed and chaotic and I don't even know where to focus. Instead of helping I just stand back and watch Ash as he struggles against people trying to pull him away.

“Come on, Ash. Dude, it's not worth it,” Jace yells while getting Ash off of him.

It takes a total of three guys to pull Ash off and then other guys cover the guy in the white shirt, protecting him in front of Ash.

The guy wearing the white shirt has a bloody face and his nose looks like it's broken. His white shirt is covered in some blood and his eye also looks like it's swelling up.

Jesus Christ.

I look at Ash and see has no marks on his face. I look down at his hands and I see they are bloody and still bruised, maybe even a darker purple than how it looked before he punched that guy.

Ash pushes Jace and the other guy off of him before leaving the crowd and going toward the front door.

Jace looks at me and then where Ash left before looking back at me again.

Fuck.

I remove my eyes from Jace and instead walk towards the way Ash went.

The front door is open and when I walk outside I look around and see Ash leaning on his motorcycle with his head down.

I cross the street and walk towards his car. When I get close enough to his car, I take slow steps toward Ash until I'm a few feet away from him.

“Ash,” I say and I'm about to say his name again but he lifts his head and turns his body to face me. He is staring down at me like he wants to inflict pain and make me scream.Fuck, what did I do?“Are you okay?”

“That's a really fucking stupid question.” He takes a step towards me but I don't dare move. “Get on the bike, Ariella.”

I furrow my eyebrows at him. “No.”

“Ariella-“

“No, I came with Bridgette and I am going to leave with her.”

“Do as I say and get on the bike,” Ash says before taking another step towards me.

I cross my hands over my chest and look up at Ash. “No. You can't boss me around and be a dick. I didn't do anything wrong. You are acting like a fucking maniac, Ash.”

“Ariella-“

“No-“ I get cut off when I feel Ash smack his hand on the car behind me before grabbing the back of my neck.

He pulls me towards him so that our bodies are glued together. “Get on the fucking bike Ariella or so help me God I'll make sure everyone at this stupid party knows you are mine.”

Twenty-Eight